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Abu Khader Jabari is mukhtar (village leader) of Hebron. Beyond the boundaries of the City of the Patriarchs, this sheikh commands respect and authority in many Palestinian towns and villages. It took a long time to get an interview because he is busy traveling and arbitrating disputes among Arab families and clans and Bedouin tribes.

Toward the end of our interview Noam Arnon, the leader of Hebron’s Jewish community, made a surprise visit to his close friend Jabari. While the world portrays Palestinians and settlers as bitter enemies, many coexist peacefully and have even become friends.

Israel Today: How would you describe relations between Jews and Palestinians in Hebron?

Jabari: Things are quiet, but not completely stable. For 20 years we have been negotiating peace, but without any tangible results.

IT: Do you think that the Oslo Peace Accords [1993] have failed?

Jabari: Oslo has failed completely. It was stillborn. Oslo simply postponed the core issues of the conflict, but didn’t resolve them.